Winding apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905.

S. T. NELSON.

WINDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25,1904.

A b n M 3 F DU wi/ine'sse:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

Application filed November 25, 1904. Serial No. 234,153.

concerned with winding-drums intended for or apt to be employed inoverwindingthat is to say, the winding of more than a single layer uponthe drum-face.

The ordinary winding-drum has a cylindrical face and carries at its enda radial flange.

In winding on the successive convolutions of the rope the oncomingstrand of course approaches the flange in a spiral path. If the windingbe continued for overwinding or to produce a second layer, the oncomingstrand wedges and jams into the gradually-narrowing space between theflange and the last convolution until the space becomes so narrow thatthe rope is actually jammed into position upon the top of the precedingconvolution and into place for winding the second layer. This wedgingand jamming action on the oncoming strand will always occur atsubstantially the same point and being highly injurious and detrimentalto the rope materially shortens and practically determines its life.Overwinding is of particular importance in connection with minehoistswhere great lengths of wire ropes or cables must be taken in and paidout by suitable'hoisting machinery. For winding these excessively longcables eitheroverwindingmustbeemployedordrums of greatly-increaseddiameter and face installed for single winding, the latter courserequiring not only increased outlay for the drums, but for the hoistingapparatus itself. So aggravated, however, has been the wear and tearfrom the foregoing cause upon the expensive wire cables which are usedin this class .of work that in many instances overwinding has beendiscarded and larger drums and more expensive apparatus have beenemoloyed, requiring an additional outlay, in some instances of fromforty to fifty percent. of the cost of the overwinding plant.

My invention provides a simple and elfectivc means for avoidingthatinjury to the rope or cable which has heretofore been inseparable fromoverwinding.

My invention will be best understood from the following description,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of one specificembodiment, which is submitted for illustrative purposes, while itsscope will be more particularly-pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of ropeguiding or step-over de vice which may be employed in carrying out myinvention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same looking from the right inFig. 1. Fig. 3 shows, on a reduced scale, a portion of arope-windingdrum, illustrating the use of the step-over guidingdeviceshown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sections, on agreatlyenlarged scale, taken on the lines 4 at, 5 5, and 6 6 in Fig. 3and illustrating the mode of action of the step-over device shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings the drum a, provided with a flange b, is shown asillustrative of any ordinary or usual winding-drum. It is shown hereinas spirally grooved to receive the spiral convolutions of the firstlayer of rope 1*; but my invention is in no wise limited to grooveddrums or to drums of any particular type or character. Secured to thedrumflange b or, if desired, formed integral therewith, is asegmentalstep-over piece 0, which presents to the oncoming rope-strand r be foreit has opportunity to become wedged between the drum-flange and thepreceding rope coil r a well-defined path and guides the oncoming strandin a perfectly free and natural way upward above and over the precedingcoil, so that the rope is deposited without any injurious chafing orjamming upon top of the preceding layer, as shown in Fig. 6, ready forthe winding of the next layer. The step-over piece has a grooved flanged to provide a suitable guiding-path for the rope, the groove thereofhaving a spiral path reverse to that of the layer of rope just wound andadapted, therefore, to carry the rope farther and farther away from thedrum-flange and toward the preceding rope coil as it winds upon thegroove. The latter, however, is of increasing radius, so that at thesame time it lifts the rope from the drum-surface and elevates or stepsit up first to the position shown in Fig. 4, then gradually to thatshown in Fig. 5, where it rests partly on the flange and partly on thelast rope coil. After reaching the position shown in Fig. 5 the oncomingf'e'levated rope strand meets the face of the inclined directing-wall eand is thereby gradually, but easily and without chafing or friction,directed or guided from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown inFig. 6. where it is shown lying on top of the'l'ast preceding ropeconvolution. The oncoming rope is thus positively guided or lifted awayfrom the drum-face and away from the place where it would otherwise jamand wedge between the drum-flange and the preceding coil.

The step-over piece 0 preferably has a slight taper to follow the cut ofthe drum-grooves, it being so dimensioned that it will clear the side ofthe preceding rope-coil, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, but arranged topresent its grooved or other directing path to the oncoming strandbefore the latter reaches the wedging position.

I have herein described for illustrative purposes one single embodimentof my invention simple in construction and which I have foundpracticallyeffective. Myinvention, however, may he carried out in manyother ways than that herein described, many of which will be obvious tothose skilled in the art and which are not herein necessary to describe.It will therefore be obvious that my invention is in no wise limited tothe particular illustrative embodiment herein disclosed, but is limitedonly by the broad principle thereof herein described.

I claim 1. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with arope-winding drum of means positively to elevate an oncoming strand awayfrom'the face of the rope-drum and over the preceding rope-coil.

2. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with a rope-windingdrum'of overwinding, rope-step-over means.

3. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with a rope-winding drumof grooved guiding means for guiding the oncoming ropestrand over andabove the preceding rope layer.

t. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with a rope-drum ofguiding means presenting a spiral directing-path of increasing radiusfor causing the oncoming ropestrand to move over and above the precedingrope layer.

5. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with a rope-winding drumfor winding rope from one end thereof toward the other of rope-guidingmeans presenting to an oncoming strand a grooved path of increasingradius and leading toward the initial drum end.

6. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with a flangedrope-winding drum of means secured to the flange thereof for elevatingthe oncoming rope-strand away from the drum-face and guiding it awayfrom the inner face of said flange.

7. A rope-guiding device for overwinding comprising a grooved segmentalflange of increasing radius and an inclined directing-wall adjacentthereto.

8. In a rope-winding apparatus the combination with a spirallygrooveddrum of a grooved rope-path of increasing radius near one end thereofand reversely spiraled.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SVEN T. NELSON.

\Vitness'es:

DUDLEY TAYLOR, MELVILLE OLIPHANT.

